Little Falls transcript., 1887-06-03


lays q ain, 10 good taste r1 arrss ia.
guaresI,a q even now when more
liberal IDEAS pre- wall. ON much Less
readily then, when all the world Was
under priestly rule. Lent ever
Marina father especially requested
that the nuptials should be deferred
until the arrival from Spain Of q
favorite sbrot her, uncle Of the pro-
spectiYe bride. ~. u. SS
All these delays were odious and
even maAdening to De Ia 4 Montana.
He tormented himself with constant
brooding upon them, until the reason
assigned, all logical and weighty to
the formal precision Of the race and
generation, seemed to him strained,
frivolous, and improbable. From
such q conclusion it required no vlo-
lent effort OF a. morbid fancy to ad-
vance step farther, and Leonel per-
suaded himself that Marina was tired
OF him, that she had never loved
him, that she desired to break
the bonds of their betrothal, and
that all these procrastinations
were ominous tokens signifying
that wish and q means OF gradual ap-
proach to such a. rupture. His jeal-
Gus passion increased, battening up
on his misery, until the man had al.
| most become insane. And the full
| measure of his own suffering he held to
the troubled lips Of poor Marina
Every absurd pretext was to him g.
theme OF complaint and reproach.
He found a source OF grievance in the
situation Of the Anaya dwelling on
| one of the main thoroughfares, a fav-
| orite promenade OF the young Span
iards, who naturally passed thither.
not the less because of Marina's
beauty. The praises lavished upon
her annoyed him as much as if the
girl had courted them. It had come
to pass that every interview between
the lovers resolved itself into bitter
ness and reproaches and Marina was
half wild with distress. She loved
Leonel most dearly, and she could
| not doubt the ardoc of his love for.
her as its very intensity was the
source Of his mad jealousy over the
fatal charm OF her beauty.
Az last, one morning, De la Mont
ana passed the house and found it
closed. His morbid fancy at once
pictured rival behind the massive
shutters of the the iron-barred win
dows, making his suit to Marina, per-
| haps-oh, saints in heaven !--winning
his cause, and persuading her to dis
card the jealous lover. Narrowed by
the thought, he was hastenlng to knock
| at the zaguan 1.-THE great street portaD
when q wicket in one cf the windows
was opened, and a white hand-and
a hand he knew, Marina's hand--was
put forth, and slightly beckoned. He
approached, and begged to know thela-
dy's will For all answer white, folded
mlssive was held toward him. He
took the letter, the window quickly
closed, and he could but move away
to where he could read at ease:
'My worshiped Leonel - the letter
ran, my love for thee has amounted
Eairly to worship, since we who love
hrst only at mature age concentrate
our affections unfrittered away by
earlier, sllghter loyes-I have tried
then, by every tenderness,to convince
thee that thou alone OF men ait in
my heart; but have found thee insen-
sib!e to these assurances. As my
blind and simple affection can not in
spire in thee that faith which is essen.
tlal to welded happiness, and as my
beauty-which l therefore hold ac-
cursed-is the terrible barrier to our
perfect understanding, Ihave resolved,
not IN anger nor revenge, but in sacri-
flee to your love, TO convert that ILL.,
starred, fatal beauty into aliving hor-
ror, that thou mayest no longer see in
it temptation to disloy atty toward
thee. Naught else can cure my ankle
ty and distress, and do not falter.
1t thou lowest me, thus shalt thy trust
revive; thou wilt pardon my insight
llness, and we shall once more be hap
py. II thy love shalt revolt and per-
ish for the horror become, losing that
tormenting love, thou wilt find peace
again. will return thee at least the
tranquility / have destroyed, either
by disDelling the illusion, or by pro-
tecting thy passion beneath the wings
OF fait'-. Thine. MARINA"
The heart Of Leonel sank like lead
within him, with the weight of great
misgiving. What would Marina do?
To what dread deed had his madness
driven her? He saw now, as if from
beneath a lifted veil, the folly and the
cruelty ofhis exactions and suspicious,
and he realized the depth OF the divine
affection he had wronged. Full Of con-
triton. OF eagerness, of awful dread,
he hastened back to the house, and
abbreviating as he could the ceremo-
NOUS parley at the door, he sought
Marina's father, and hurriedly told
his fears. Thetwo men moved through
the house quietly, not to attract the
attention OF the gossiping servants.
The mother Of Marina was away to
visit a sick friend, and the house
was very still. In the ante-sala, or
ante-room OF the great parlor, they
were overtaken by servant.
. 'Don Pablito," she, exclaimed, II
came to tell you that I was here dust
ing a moment ago, and I found the
brazier gone. / have been seeking
some one to tell, but Dana Claudia is
away, and the Nina Marina is in her
room and does not answer. Quien
sabe how the thief could have come
in! The door-porter must have slept,
sir!" sss=@
I Anaya checked the girls chatter and
sent her away. In those days. and
until the last few years. it was the cus-
tom to keep in all well-regulated
houses a. small fire of charcoal burn
ing in great silver brazier in the an
te-sala, for the convenience of lighting
cigars or cigarettes. This brazier was
indeed missing here. And through
the interstices of the doors subtle
odor began to creep, tainting the air
soi the tight closed house-a strange
and sickening smell, whose suggestion
caused the flesh to thrill with horror,
and the hair TO stand erect. The two.